Thuggee

Thuggee (or tuggee) (from the Sanskrit root sthag (P?li, thak), to conceal, mainly applied to fraudulent concealment) was an Indian cult sometimes described as the world's first mafia, operating from the 13th to the 19th centuries, worshipping Kali whose members were known as Thugs. This is where the term thug originated, as many Indian words passed into common English during British occupation of India.

Beliefs and practices

The Thugs were a well-organized confederacy of professional assassins, who in gangs of 10 to 200 travelled in various guises through India, wormed themselves into the confidence of wayfarers of the wealthier class. When a favorable opportunity arose, the Thug strangled his victim by throwing a handkerchief or noose around the neck, and then plundered and buried him. All this was done according to certain ancient and rigidly prescribed forms and after the performance of special religious rites, in which the consecration of the pickaxe and the sacrifice of sugar formed a prominent part. From their using the noose as an instrument of murder they were also frequently called Phansigars, or "noose-operators."

Related Topics:
Assassin - India - Handkerchief - Noose - Pickaxe

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The will of the goddess by whose command and in whose honor they followed their calling was revealed to them through a very complicated system of omens. In obedience to these, they often travelled hundreds of miles in company with, or in the wake of, their intended victims before a safe opportunity presented itself for executing their design; and, when the deed was done, rites were performed in the deity's honor, and a significant portion of the spoils was set apart for her.

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They believed each murder prevented Kali's (their goddess's) arrival for 1000 years. The fraternity also possessed a language/jargon of their own (Ramasi), as well as certain signs by which its members recognized each other in the remotest parts of India. Even those who from age or infirmities could no longer take an active part in the ritual murder continued to aid the cause as watchers, spies, or dressers of food. Because of their thorough organization, the secrecy and security of their operation, and the religious pretext in which they shrouded their murders, they were recognized as a regular tax-paying profession and continued for centuries to practice their craft, free of inquiry from Hindu rulers.

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